Who Wins? Batman or Superman?

25 Mar Who Wins? Batman or Superman?

I feel both excitement and trepidation about seeing the blockbuster film that opens today, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The premise itself is exciting: two DC Comics legends meeting on the big screen for the first time that I can recall, and apparently they’re at odds. Growing up, I was a huge fan of “Superfriends/Justice League,” and in recent years I fell in love with Christopher Nolan’s brilliant “Dark Night” trilogy. I’ve appreciated the many Superman films as well. I’m fresh off of an L.A. vacation and a tour of the Warner Bros studio, where promotions and props from the movie were ubiquitous.

My trepidation concerns the casting of “Batman” himself, and the movie’s potential plot.

In my opinion, actor Christian Bale was the quintessential Bruce Wayne, aka Batman. Bale’s dark, troubled persona made the story so rich and helped the films transcend the superhero action drama. I find the 1980s and 90s Batman films silly and unwatchable by comparison. Can Ben Affleck come even close to channeling his inner Wayne, or will he be just another pretty face dropping cliches left and right? We’ll see.

I hope the storyline involves more than just giant aliens to defeat and lots of things exploding The last Superman film, 2013’s “Man of Steel,” offered more of a compelling back story for Clark Kent than any previous films, but the bad guys weren’t as realistic as the “Dark Knight” antagonists.

And what contributions will “Wonder Woman” offer? Apparently the world’s hottest female superhero is slated to make an appearance, invisible plane and all. What child of the 70s and 80s can forget Lynda Carter and her, um, smile?